I don't remember exactly why, but my brother and I happened to turn on the game right when that happened. I still remember him going into the dugout and throwing water on his head and just looking stupid. We loved watching every second of it as it was just the start of the rest of the world to see him as the fraud he always was.

And the very next night, as he did his run out to right field, the entire stadium gave him a standing ovation. The camera even caught one assclown, probably in his 40's and who should have known better, holding a sign that read "Sammy Sosa Is Still My Hero". Again, dumbest, stupidest fans in all four pro-sports.

I was in my room with the TV turned off. My brother comes in and says if I'm watching the Cubs game. Now, why would I be doing something like that? I always miss the good stuff...

What's even more funny is that I knew more than one person who actually bought his story. It was quite comical. Another friend I have, who said they should trade Sosa after the 98 season, wasn't buying it...

And the very next night, as he did his run out to right field, the entire stadium gave him a standing ovation. The camera even caught one assclown, probably in his 40's and who should have known better, holding a sign that read "Sammy Sosa Is Still My Hero". Again, dumbest, stupidest fans in all four pro-sports.

One of my Cub fan friends who I thought was at least semi-knowledgeable about baseball told me that the corked bat incident is the only thing keeping Sammy out of the hall of fame. My response was "you can't be serious?" yet he was totally serious. He doesn't believe Sosa juiced because there hasn't been any "real evidence" that he did. I sat there completely stunned. It makes me wonder how many other Cub fans might be in denial about Sosa's juicing? And yes, some of the dumbest fans around indeed.

__________________
The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done." -George Carlin

I remember his excuse was that he used the corked bats to entertain fans during batting practice and grabbed one by accident during the game. The fact it was an RBI situation in a close game is just a pure coincidence....

Edit: and I just want to add that it is really freaking cool to be able to link threads from 10 years ago. Just another example of how cool this site is. Just having a fan run message board site that's been around that long is amazing.

__________________Riding shotgun on the Sox bandwagon since before there was an Internet...

One of my Cub fan friends who I thought was at least semi-knowledgeable about baseball told me that the corked bat incident is the only thing keeping Sammy out of the hall of fame. My response was "you can't be serious?" yet he was totally serious. He doesn't believe Sosa juiced because there hasn't been any "real evidence" that he did. I sat there completely stunned. It makes me wonder how many other Cub fans might be in denial about Sosa's juicing? And yes, some of the dumbest fans around indeed.

Cub fans have an understandably complex relationship with Sammy. On the one hand, his HR chase with Mark McGwire in 1998 is one of the key pieces of their elevation into baseball's royalty. I don't recall the Cubs being such a national novelty even in the '90s, until the Sosa/McGwire saga. They were growing, of course, thanks to the Tribune Marketing Machine, but Sosa really put them over the top.

On the other hand, he was a ****ing cheater.

I can't say I blame some of them for their denial. Imagine how we'd have felt if Big Frank or Robin Ventura was so blatantly on steroids. That said, even the most blue-bleeding Cub fans I know at least now can admit that Sosa was clearly juicing.

Cub fans have an understandably complex relationship with Sammy. On the one hand, his HR chase with Mark McGwire in 1998 is one of the key pieces of their elevation into baseball's royalty. I don't recall the Cubs being such a national novelty even in the '90s, until the Sosa/McGwire saga. They were growing, of course, thanks to the Tribune Marketing Machine, but Sosa really put them over the top.

On the other hand, he was a ****ing cheater.

I can't say I blame some of them for their denial. Imagine how we'd have felt if Big Frank or Robin Ventura was so blatantly on steroids. That said, even the most blue-bleeding Cub fans I know at least now can admit that Sosa was clearly juicing.

Yeah, I had to stop talking about ShamME* to one of my friends because he couldn't get past the fact ShamME* had been a sports hero to him for so long. I never have gone back to find out if he outgrew it or not. Another of my buddies got over it fast and pretty much disowned ShamME* by the time he was gone from the team.

Mark my words, sometime, somewhere, someday, Sammy Sosa will be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame. He might not live to see it. But somewhere down the line he will inducted into the Hall Of Fame. These baseball HOF voters reinvent history. There are numerous people who are in the HOF now I NEVER thought would get in there. Hack Wilson, Walter O'Malley and Ron/Pizza Man/Scab/Santo come to mind. I figure once Barry Bonds gets in the HOF, this will open the door for the other juicers.

I'm amazed that I somehow never posted in that thread, although I remember watching the Sox-Diamondbacks game that aired the same evening, so that's probably why I wasn't around to say anything about Sosa. I do remember seeing the highlights on Sportscenter and laughing at him.

And the very next night, as he did his run out to right field, the entire stadium gave him a standing ovation. The camera even caught one assclown, probably in his 40's and who should have known better, holding a sign that read "Sammy Sosa Is Still My Hero". Again, dumbest, stupidest fans in all four pro-sports.